Saturday, September 29, 2012

Such an Honor

An Invitation to be God's Children

We have been
praying most of our lives, but do we ever think about what that means?
Have we ever thought how incredible it is that our Creator God has
invited us to speak with Him at any time? That the Lord of the Universe
has given us the right to speak with Him, to ask for help, to seek His mercy?

There
is no greater honor given to humanity than the gift of being able to
approach our God in prayer, any hour of the day or night, in every
circumstance. In every season we can speak to Him. We can call upon God
in our joy or in our anger, and from the depths of despair, we can speak to Him.

It
is beyond our human understanding that we have been assured that our
God is always listening to us, yet it is true. Our Creator even
condescended to join His Divinity with our humanity, becoming incarnate
in the flesh, that we might see His face. In Christ, He has revealed
Himself to us, and invited us to commune with Him forever. With love in Christ,Abbot TryphonSaturday September 29, 2012 / September 16, 201217th Week after Pentecost. Tone seven.

Saturday after the Universal Elevation of the Precious and Life-Creating Cross of the LordAfterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross.
Great-martyr Euphemia the All-praised, of Chalcedon (304).New Hieromartyr Gregory Raevsky priest (1937).New Hieromartyr Sergius priest (1942).Translation of the relics of St. Alexis of Moscow (2001).
Repose of St. Cyprian, metropolitan of Kiev (1406).
St. Kushka of Odessa confessor (1964).St. Sebastiana, disciple of St. Paul the Apostle, martyred at Heraclea (86).
Martyr Melitina of Marcianopolis (2nd c.).
Martyrs Victor and Sosthenes at Chalcedon (304).
Venerable Dorotheus, hermit of Egypt (4th c.).
Martyr Ludmilla (927), grandmother of St. Wenceslaus, prince of the Czechs.
New Martyrs Isaac and Joseph, who suffered at Karnu, Georgia (808) (Georgia).
The Icon of the Mother of God, named "Support of the Humble" (1420).Venerable Procopius, abbot, of Sazava in Bohemia (1053).St. Ninian, bishop of Whithorn (Candida Casa) ( 432) (Celtic & British). Venerable Edith, nun, of Wilton, England (984) (Celtic & British).Venerable Cyprian of Serbia (Serbia).

You can read the life of the saint in green, by click on the name.

THANK
YOU, to all of you who have been able to contribute towards the support
of the monastery. These difficult times of economic hardship have
impacted the monastery, and those of you who have been able to donate,
have been our lifeline. May God bless you for your generosity, and
kindness.

With love in Christ,Abbot Tryphon

Donations can be made directly to the monastery through PayPal, or you may send donations to:All-Merciful Saviour Monastery
PO Box 2420
Vashon Island, WA 98070-2420 USA

1 Corinthians 14:20-25

Tongues a Sign to Unbelievers

20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.21 In the law it is written:

“With men of other tongues and other lipsI will speak to this people;And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,”

says the Lord.22 Therefore
tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers;
but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. 23 Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. 25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.

Matthew 25:1-13

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And
while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready
went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.